'I was like I will never experience this....' - Alexander Zverev recalls Roland Garros 2024 first-round win vs Rafael Nadal

It was a blockbuster year on the ATP tour for the current world number two star, Alexander Zverev, who showcased to the tennis fraternity just how good he can be in the sport. The 27-year-old tennis legend won two Masters 1000 titles this year as he took his tally to seven now, a number only topped by Serbian Novak Djokovic when it comes to active ATP players. The Hamburg-born star looked great on the clay court, as Zverev won the Italian Open, which marks his second title in Rome, having won the title for the first time back in 2017.

The German later won the Paris Masters to culminate this year in great style, ending the year after becoming the world number two for the first time in his tennis career. However, despite so many wins and so much popularity, Zverev grabbed attention when he made it to the finals of the 2024 French Openbut suffered defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the final thriller.

However, Alexander Zverev now turns the clock and looks back on his opening round when he thwarted 14-time championRafael Nadal in the tournament opener. Zverev spoke about the pre-match when the announcer was going through the highlights of Nadal and how the fans were cheering him even louder. The 27-year-old tennis legend further recalled why the match against Nadal would be memorable and most special for him.

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For me, I was like, I will never experience this on court again: Alexander Zverev

“For me, it was just when the announcer started going through his highlights. Roland Garros champion in 2004, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10 etc. With every one the crowd was getting louder and louder. For me, I was like I will never experience this on court again and the atmosphere was more special than our semi-final match, which is crazy,” said Zverev.

“[Playing Rafael] Nadal was probably the most special match [of the year]. This is the one which will stay in the memory for me," he added further.

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